Drying machine



Dec. 25, 1934. C STEcgHER 1,985,691

DRYING MACHINE Filed April' 15, 1932 1 5 sheets-sheet 2 c. sTEcHYER 1,985,697

DRYING HAGHINE Dec. 25, 1934,

Filed April` 13 1932 3 Sheets-snee?I 3 INVENTOR, CHARLES .STECHER @Mu/f5 A TTORNEY.

Patented Dee. 25, 1934 'man STATES PATENT OFFICE 12 Claims.

My invention relates to a machine for drying blanks that have received previous manufacturing treatment, requiring an ap reciable interval of drying before the blanks can be handled without derangement of the material previously applied to them. It frequently happens in manufacturing operations, that blanks are treated by having liquid or plastic material applied to them, which requires a considerable interval of drying before the blanks can be safely handled in connection with further manufacturing operations involving them, and my present invention has for its object, providing a machine that will receive blanks treated as referred to, one after another, and particularly if they are automatically delivered to the dryingmachine by a rapidly operating preparing machine, the drying machine having facilities for accommodating a very large number of the treated blanks and moving them slowly through the drying machine, so that each blank may have its requisite interval of drying, before delivering the blank from the drying machine.

As illustrative of a particular embodiment of my invention, I show it herein, as adapted to receive blanks automatically delivered to it from a sealing compound applying machine, involving the invention disclosed in my co-pending application for United States Letters Patent, Serial No. 571,012, by which, for example, rubber compound is applied to grooves in the end pieces for metal cans, so that the lock seams between the ends of each can and its side wall or walls may be tightly closed and sealed by the applied compound when the can is completed. With the compound applying machine referred to, to permit it to deliver its output of from fty to sixty treated blanks per minute, the sealing compound is necessarily suniciently fluid to flow freely, so that it may properly be applied to each blank during the small yinterval of time permitted for that purpose, and this fluid condition of the sealing compound would permit its ready flow from its proper location on the treated blanks, if ythey were at once used in the remaining operations of making the cans, To prevent sch iiow, the treated blanks are delivered from the machine applying the sealing compound, to the machine of my present invention, which is ,ar- -ranged to receive hundreds of the treated bla'nks, and move them in separate relation slowly through the machine, provision being made in the drying machine for passing heated air around and between the treatedpblanks, as they move through the machine, the size of the drying machine being preferably such that each treated blank requires from fifteen to twenty minutes or more, to pass through the machine, the delivery of the dried blanks from the machine being preferably timed so, that one dried blank 5 is delivered from it for each treated blank fed into it. While it is usually necessary to have a considerable drying interval for each blank, it is frequently desirable, for example, in the use of rubber'sealing compound, to restrict the drying l0 operation to a suicient interval so that the material applied to the blank will be dry enough to handle safely in subsequent manufacturing operations, and yet be plastic enough to accomplish the function for which it is applied to the blank. To this end I provide devices for operating the drying machine at a uniform rate, regardless of whether themachine preparing the blanks for drying, is stopped from time to time, I or not, and in this way each blank is subjected to a definite interval of drying, depending upon the nature of the' material applied .to it by the machine preparing it for drying. My drying machine also includes devices for stacking the dried y blanks delivered from it so that they may be conveniently removed from time to time in quantity as'desired, thus avoiding the necessity of having constant attendance in connection with the operation of the drying machine. To insure synchronized action between the preparing machine and the -drying machine, I preferably provide driving connections between the two machines, insuring that the blanksin the drying machine shall be properly and uniformly spaced from each other when the two machines arer simultaneously operated, which is usually the case. If for any reason it is necessary to momentarily stop the preparing machine, for example on account of a defective blank, or other temporary interruption of the proper operation of 40 the preparing machine, this may be done by suitable clutch'mechanism, without stopping the operation of the' drying machine, to the end that the desired time of drying each blank may be maintained. Y

My invention will best be understood by reference to the accompanying drawings showing a preferredembodiment thereof, in which Fig. 1 .shows the working parts of my drying machine in front elevation with the front part of the casing removed, the lower part of the machine being shown in vertical sectional viewl through the driving shaft of the machine; in this view I also illustrate dlagrammatically and in front elevation, a blank preparing machine in 56 accordance with my earlier invention referred to,

Fig. 2 is a horizontal, sectional view to an enlarged scale of the parts shown in Fig. 1 within the casing of the machine, taken along the line 2 2,

Fig. 3 is a horizontal, sectional view to an enlarged scale of the parts shown in Fig. 1, taken along the line 3 3, the partsfor receiving and stacking the dried blanks, being omitted in this figure,

Fig. 4 is a vertical, sectional view of the parts shown in Fig. 2, taken along the line 4 4,

Fig. 5 is a rear elevation to an enlarged scale, of the drying machine shown in Fig. 1, with the rear wall of the casing removed,

- Fig. 6 is a horizontal, sectional view of a part of the construction shown in Fig. 5, taken along the line 6 6,

Fig. 7 is a horizontal, sectional view of part of the construction shown in Fig. 5, taken along the line 7 7,

Fig. 8 is a vertical, sectional View of a part of the construction shown in Fig. 1, taken along the line 8 8,

Fig. 9 is a plan View of one of the blanks in the drying machine, showing its relation to the feed screws and guide bar of the machine cooperating with said blank, this view being similar as to the'parts referred to, to Fig. 3, but to a further enlarged scale,

Fig. 10 is a vertical, sectional view of the parts shown in Fig. 9, taken along the line 10 10,

Fig. 11 is a horizontal, sectional view to an enlarged scale, of the supporting structure and casing shown in Fig. 1, taken along the line 11 11,

Fig. 12 is a transverse, sectional View to an enlarged scale, through the receiving rack struc-- ture shown in Fig. 1, taken along the line 12-12,

Fig. 13 is a vertical, sectional View to a further enlarged scale, of a part of the structure shown in Fig. 12, taken along the line 13 13,

Fig. 14 is a vertical, sectional view of a part of the structure shown in Fig. 3, taken along the line 14-14,

Fig. 15 is a horizontal, sectional view to an enlarged scale through the supporting structure shown in Fig. 1, taken along the line 15-15,

Fig. 16 shows in front elevation, and to an enlarged'scale, a part of the front wall of the casing of the drying machine illustrated in Fig. 1,

Fig. 17 is a horizontal, sectional view to a further enlarged scale, of a part of the structure shown in Fig. 16, taken along the line 17-17,

Fig. 18 shows in plan View a form of blank adapted to be handled by the drying machine shown in Fig. 1, and

Fig. 19 is a vertical, sectional view of the blank shown in Fig. 18, taken along the line 19 19.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

As shown in Fig. 1, I illustrate diagrammatically a sealing compound applying machine 10, in

accordance with my earlier invention referred tov and my drying machine mounted on a base 11, the sealing compound 4applying machine being provided with bars 12, to support a stack of blanks for treatment by the machine, a -feeder bar 13, nozzle mechanism 14, a delivery conveyer 15, and a tank 16 for-containing the compound to be applied to the blanks, the machine being provided with a cam shaft 17 carrying cams for effecting the several operations of the machine, to feed blanks to the nozzle mechanism, to operate the nozzle mechanism to apply compound to the 'will rotate at the same rate.

blanks, and to deliver the treated blanks from the machine.

The drying machine consists of a base plate 18 mounted on the base 11 and supporting a vertical column 19, which in turn-supports the operating parts of the drying machine. The base plate 18 supports the driving shaft 20 of the machine in horizontal position, this shaft having rigidly secured to it a sprocket wheel 21 connected by a chain 22 with a sprocket 'wheel 2 3 mounted on the shaft 17. The sprocket wheel 23 is rigidly secured to a driving pulley 24, which carries one member of a jaw clutch, the other member of which clutch is carried by a grooved collar 25 splined on the shaft 17 as indicated, and operable by a yoke 26 for engaging the clutch memet wheel 23 and the driving pulley 24 are free to rotate on theshaft 17 when the clutch members referred to'are disengaged, and engagement of the clutch members with each other results in driving the shaft 17 by rotation of the pulley 24, The sprocket wheels 21 and 23 are preferably of the same diameter so that the shafts 17 and 20 The machine 10 is built so that one rotation of the shaft 17 completes a cycle of operation of the machine, or in other words a treated blank is delivered from the machine for each rotation of the shaft 17, and the parts operated by the shaft 20 are proportioned as will be described, to move the blanks in the drying machine one step for each rotation of the shaft 20, so that the drying machine may receive the blanks from the treating machine as fast as they are delivered by the conveyer 15.

The column 19 supports bearingblocks 27 and 28, supporting the lower ends of vertical feed screws 29 and 30, the upper ends of said screws being supported in bearing blocks 31 and 32 also carried by said column. Adjusting screws 33 and 34 extend horizontally through the bearing blocks 27 and 28 respectively, and also through similar bearing blocks behind the bearings 27 and 28y as will be described, and adjusting screws 35 and 36 extend horizontally through the bearing blocks 31 and 32 respectively, and also through similar bearing blocks back of the bearing blocks 3l and 32 as will be described. 'I'he screws 33 and 34 have rigidly secured to them, gears 37 and 38 which are of the same diameter and mesh with each 4other so that rotation of the screw 33 will rotate the screw 34 at the same rate and in the opposite direction. The screws 33 and 34 have also rigidly secured to them, sprocket wheels 39 and 40 engaged by chains 41 and 42 respectively, which chains also engage sprocket wheels 43 and 44 carried by and rigidly secured to the screws 35 and 36 respectively. The sprocket wheels 39, 40, 43 and 44 are of the same size, as a result of which rotation of the screw 33 rotates all of the screws 33, 34, 35 and 36 at the same rate. Idler pulleys 45 are supported by the column 19 in any convenient manner, to maintain the chains 4l and 42 in taut condition.

The column 19 also supports guide bars 46 and 47 in vertical position, to engage respectively the edge portions of .the blanks 48 being fed upwardly by the screw 29, and the edge portions of the blanks 48a being fed downwardly by the screw 30, the directions of rotation of these screws being such as to tend to move the blanks towards the guide bars.

Adjacent the upper ends of the threaded portions of the screws 29 and 30, the lower portion of a transfer chain 49 extends from one side of CII bers or disengaging them as desired. 'I'he sprockthe machine to the other, this chain being carried by a driving sprocket wheel and by a smaller sprocket wheel 51. The chain 49 carries lugs 52 to engage the blanks 48 one after another, deliveredfrom the upper threaded end of the screw 29, to lrnove said blanks across the machine for engagement by the screw 30. The sprocket wheel 50 is mounted on a shaft 53 supported in a bearing carried by a plate 54 supported by the upper end of the column 19 and by the side wall-'of the casing of the drying machine as indicated. The shaft 53 has mounted upon 1t, as will be described below, a ratchet wheel for engagement by a pawl carried by an arm 55 pivotally connected at its outer end with a connecting rod 56, the lower end of which is pivotally connected with a crank 57 connected as will be described below with a bevel gear 59 meshing with a bevel gear 60 secured to the shaft 20, the bevel gears 59 and60 being of the same size. The arm 55 is somewhat longer than the crank 5,7, as a result of which each rotation of the shaft 20 oscillates the arm 55 to impart intermittent movement to the chain 49, each movement of the chain serving to move one of the lugs 52 across the upper portion of the drying machine and carrying with it the uppermost one of the blanks 48 and moving it so that it becomes the uppermost one of the blanks 48a. The sprocket wheel 51 is carried by a bearing block 61 supported by a bracket 62 carried by the casingof the dryng machine, the latter parts being secured together by a bolt 63 extending through a'clearance slot therefor in the bearing block 61, so-that the chain 49 may be maintained in taut condition. The chain 49 is enclosed by a cover plate 64.

The lower ends of the feedscrews 29 and 30, are connected by universal joints 65 having splined connections, with gears 66 and 67 respectively, connected as will be described with bevel gears 68 and 69 which mesh respectively with bevel gears 70 and 71 of the same size and secured to the shaft 20. As a result of this construction, each rotation ofI the shaft 20, corresponding to one cycle of operation` of the machine 10, imparts one rotation to each of the 'feed screws 29 and 30, and thus moves the blanks through the drying machine anA amount equal to the pitch Aof the threads on the feed screws.

The bearing block 28 and the bearing block back of it, support in a manner to be described, the two members 72 of a delivery chute, but one of these members being shown for clearness in Fig. 1, which. delivery chute receives the lowermost blank 48a when it is fed downwardly from the lower end of the feed screw 30, the inclination of the delivery chute 72, directing the delivered blank onto an arm 73 having an upwardly extending outer end 74, to limit downward movel 77, the cam surface of which engages a roller 78 carried by the lower end of the bar 76. The cam 77 is so proportioned and angularly disposed on the shaft 20 to which it is rigidly secured, that after a delivered blank is placed by gravity on the arm 73, the bar 76 vis moved downwardly by the cam to raise the bar 73 and the blank resting thereon against the lowermost one, ofthe blanks previously delivered from the drying machine and -supported in a receiving rack 79, the blank raised by the arm 73 being raised sufficiently to clear the upper ends of spring actuated dogs 80 carried by the receiving rack, so that the raised blank as well as the blanks above it are held in their raised position by said dogs, when the arm 73 again moves to its lower position indicated in Fig. 1. The receiving rack 79 consists of two members, but one of which is shown for the sake of clearness in Fig. 1, said rack being supported by. a bracket 81 secured to the casing of the machine as indicated. The receiving rack has tongue and groove engagement with the bracket 81 for a purpose lto be described. The construction and operation of the spring actuated dogs 80, are also described below.

In Fig. 5, I illustrate the feed screws in the back portion of the machine. As shown in this figure, two feed screws 82 and 83 are provided to engage the ascending blanks 48 not shown in this figure, and two feed screws 84 and 85 are provided in the back part of the machine, to engage the de- -scending blanks, not shown in Fig. 5. The feed screws 82 and 83 are supported at their upper ends in a bearing block 86, and at their lower ends in a bearing block 87, said screws being connected below the bearing block 87 by universal joints 65 having splined connections, with gears 88 and 89 respectively. I'he feed screws 84 and 85 are supported at their upper ends by a bearing block 90, and at their lower 'ends by a bearing block 91, said feed screws being connected below the bearing block 91 by universal joints 65, 65 having splined connections, with gears 92 and 93, respectively. The gears 88, 89, 92 and 93 are driven by the bevel gears 68 and 69, in a manner to be described, at the same rate as the shaft 2Q, and as the gears 66 and 67.

The bearing block 86 is provided at its end adjacent the column 19, with upper and lower grooves to receive the edges of plates 94 and 95 secured to a bar 96 grooved to receive the adjacent end of the bearing block 86 so that the bearing block 86 is held for horizontal sliding movement relatively to the bar 96, the bar 96 and plates 94 umn 19, and similarly supporting the bearing block 31. The bearing block 87 is similarly supported for horizontal movement, by a bar 97 which extends from front to rear of the column 19 and similarly supports the bearing block 27. The bearing block is similarly supported by a bar 98 which extends horizontally from front to rear of the column 19 and also similarly supports the :bearing block 32. The bearing block 91 is simi- -also similarly supports the bearing block 28.

As shown in Fig. 5, the shaft 53 carries a three toothed ratchet wheel 100 for engagement with a pawl 101 carried by the arm 55 for effecting operation of the transfer chain 49 as above described.

All of the feed screws 82, 83, 84 and 85 are provided with the same kind and pitch of threads, since 'the rotation of the screws 82 and 83 is in one direction and the rotation of the screws 84 and 85 is in the other direction as a result of the arrangement of the bevel gears 68 and 70 and of the bevel gears 69 and 71, all of these screws having left hand threads. Each of these screws is provided with threads throughout its entire length excepting its end threaded portions, of a pitch to receive the blanks in the grooves between the threadsthe threads serving to support and separate the blanks and permit circulation of drying air between them. The screw 82 is provided at its lower end with a threaded portion 82a of much increased pitch which is a continuation of the thread of the main portion of thescrew, and at its upper end, said screwis provided with a threaded portion 82b which is of much greater pitch than the threaded portion of the body of Athe screw and is a continuation of the said main threaded portion. Each of the vscrews 83, 84 and 85 is similarly threaded at its ,end portions. The feed screws 29 and 30 are constructed as described for the feed screws- 82-85 inclusive, excepting that the threads on the feed screws 29 and 30 are right hand threads. The lower threaded ends of relatively great pitch of the screws 29, 82 and 83 engage each blank as it is delivered to the drying machine by the conveyer 15, and these screw portions of relatively great pitch serve to move the blank quickly to a position above the plane of a blank entering the drying machine from the conveyer 15. As indicated in Fig. 1, a plate 102 is provided inthe drying machine to receive each blank fed into it and support it for edge engagement with the lower threaded portions of the feed screws 29, 82 and 83, so that the engagement of the blank with the feed screws will hold the blank in substantially horizontal position and move it towards the guide bar 46 and upwardly with the ascending blanks 48 in the drying machine. The

upper threaded ends of the screws 29, 82 and 83 which are of relatively great pitch, serve to quickly lift the uppermost one of the ascending blanks 48 against the transverse chain 49 and in position for engagement by one of the lugs 52, so that there is no possibility of the lug engaging the ascending blank immediately below the uppermost one of said blanks. The upper threaded ends of the screws 30, 84 and 85 of relatively great pitch, serve to quickly move the uppermost one of the descending blanks 48a from the plane of transfer movement of the blanks, so that there is no possibility of a blank delivered by the chain 49 to the descending co1- umn of blanks, engaging the descending blank immediatelybelow it. The lower threaded ends ofthe feed screwsl 30 84 and 85 of relatively great pitch, serve to quickly, move the lowermost one of the descending blanks 48a to the delivery chute 72, so that ample time is afforded the arm 73 to raise the delivered blank against the lower end of the stack of blanks already in the rack 79, and to return it to its lower position, before the next descending blank is delivered from the delivery chute 72.

As shown in Fig. 5, the bearing blocks 86 and 90 have secured to them a horizontal guide plate 103, a similar guide plate being secured to the' bearing blocks 31 and 32 as will appear below, to support each blank in its transfer from `the column of ascending blanks to the column of descending blanks, and the guide bars 46 and 47 l have secured to their upper ends, horizontal supporting plates 104 and 105 for the same purpose.

As shown in Fig. 6, the shaft 53 is of reduced diameter where it is engaged by the ratchet wheel and the ratchet| wheel is free to turn on the shaft unless it is tightly clamped thereon. The ratchet Wheel is provided with a cylindrical hub portion on which the arm 55 is free to oscillate, the length of the hub of the ratchet wheel being slightly greater than the thickness of the arm 55. Outside of the ratchet wheel 100, the

shaft 53 carries a metal washer 106 to press against the end of the ratchet wheel and hold the arm 55 thereon, the washer 106 engaging on its outer surface, a disk 107 of friction material, fo`r example vulcanized ber, a collar 108 being mounted on the shaft 53 outside of said disk and restrained from angular movement on the shaft by a suitable key as indicated. The outer end of the shaft 53 is threaded as indicated, to receiveA a clamping nut 109. This construction is provided so that by releasing thenut 109, the ratchet wheel 100 may be adjusted angularly relatively to the sprocket wheel 50, to permit each of the lugs 52 to be in just the desired position as a result of downward movement of the connecting rod 56, to properly deliver each blank to the descending column of blanks. When the tightened and angular movement of the ratchet wheel 100 on the shaft 53 is prevented until the nut is loosened for subsequent adjustment.

As shown in Fig. 2, a bearing support 110 is provided in the lower part of the drying machine and extending through the column 19, to support short vertical shafts 111 and 112 which have rigidly secured to their upper ends, gears 113 and 114 respectively. The gear 113 meshes with each of the gears 88 and 89 and the gear 114 meshes with each of the gears 92 and 93. The bearing support 110 also supports idler gears 115 and 116 meshing respectively with the gears 113 and 114, and the idler gears and 116 also mesh with the gears 66 and 67 respectively.

As shown in Fig. 4, the shaft 112 has rigidly secured to its lower end, the bevel gear 69, as a result of which and from the relation of the gearing above described, it will appear that the gears 92 and 93 are driven in the same direction by rotation of the shaft 20, and that the gear 67 is driven in the reverse direction. The shaft 111 is similarly connected with the bevel gear 68 and since the bevel gears 68 and 69 rotate in opposite directions, the gears 88 and 89 rotate in the same direction as each other and in the same direction as the gear 67, and the gear 66 rotates in the same'direction as the gears 92 and 93, the `direction of rotation of the shaft 20 being such that all of the gears 66, 67, 88, 89, 92 and 93 rotate in such directions that the feed screws connected with them as above described,-

As shown in Fig. 2, the casing of the drying' machine consists of a front plate 117, a back plate 118 and side plates 119 and 120 which are preferably held together at the vertical corners of the casing, by vertical angle bars as indicated.

Fig. 3 illustrates the relation of eachV of the blanks 48 in the ascending stack, to its feed screws 29, 82 and 83, and the relation-of each blank 48a of the descending stack to its feed screws 30, 84 and 85. As shown in this figure, the means of supporting: the guide bars 46 and 47 is illustrated, consisting of horizontal arms 121 and 122 connected respectively with said bars and extending through apertures therefor in the side plates 19a and 19h of the column 19, in which said arms are sliding ts. The arms 121 and 122 carry racks meshing with a gear 123 carried by a vertical shaft 124 in the column 19 so that rotation of the shaft 124 will simultaneously move the arms outwardly from the column 19 or into4 the column, depending upon the direction of rotation of the shaft, and so move the bars 46 and 47 farther from the column or nearer to it, as desired, to adjust the machine for dilferent sizes of blanks. The'plates 19a and 19h carry angle members 125, 125 to hold the racks on the arms 121 and 122 in mesh with the gear 123. The upper portions of the bars 46 and 47 are provided with arms similar to those just described, having racks similarly meshing with a similar gear carried by the shaft 124, so that the bars 46 and 47 are maintained in vertical position when they are adjusted for different sizes of blanks Vby rotation of the shaft 124. As shown in Fig. 3, the column 19 supports in front of it, a bearing block 126 to support the front ends of the adjusting screws 33 and 34, the gear 37 and sprocket wheel 39 being secured to said screw 33 in front of said bearing block, and the screw having secured thereto just back of the bearing block, a collar 127 to prevent longitudinal movement of the screw when it is rotated to adjust the bearing blocks 27 and 87, which is done when it is desired to adjust the machine for different widths of blanks. The screw 33 is extended through the front plate 117 of the casing, and at its outer end carries an operating crank 128 by which the screw may be rotated to adjust the feed screws for different widths of blanks. As illustrated in Fig. 3, the end portions of the screw 33 are provided with oppositely inclined threads, for example the threads of said screw engaging the bearing block 27 may be left hand threads and the threads engaging the bearing block 87 may be right hand threads, so that blanks of different sizes may be maintained in centered relation relatively to the guide bar 46. The gear 38 and sprocket wheel 40 are similarly mounted on the adjusting screw 34, which is provided with a collar 129 to prevent longitudinal movement of the screw 34 when it is turned to adjust the feed screws 30, 84 and 85 for different sizes of blanks. The screw 34 is threaded similarly to the screw 33, excepting that each of its threaded portions s is provided with threads of opposite inclination to the threads of the corresponding portion of the screw 33, for example the threads engaging the bearing block 28 may be right hand threads and the threads engaging the bearing block 91, may be left hand threads. In this way, since the screws 33 and 34 are connected by the gears 37 and 38, and thus rotate in opposite directions ./wle'n the screw 33 is rotated by the crank 128,

91 are similarly moved towards each other or.

away from each other, as the case may be.

As shown in Fig. 7, the guide plates 104 and 105 extend towards each other from the upper ends of the guide bars 46 and 47 midway between the bearing blocks 86 and 31 and midway between the bearing blocks 90 and 32 respectively, to support a blank being transferred from the ascending blanks, at the time it is leaving the feed screws 82, 83 and 29, and at the time it is engaging the feed screws 84, 85 and 30. For blanks of small size, the guide bars 46 and 47 are necessarily separated from each other sufciently to leave a substantial gap between the adjacent ends of the guide plates 104 and 105, and the bent guide plates 103, 103 are provided to support the edge portions of the blanks while they are passing from the guide plate 104 to the guide plate 105, the bent guide-plates 103 being in position at all times to engage the` edge portions of the blanks regardless of their size, as

a result of being mounted on the bearing blocks 86 and 90 and on the bearing blocks 31 and 32.

As shown in this figure, a bearing block 130 is secured to the upper end of the column 19 to support the adjusting screws 35 and 36 for rotation, said screws having secured thereto, collars 131 and 132 on one side :of said bearing block which, in co-operation withthe sprocket wheels 43 and 44 secured to the ends of said screws, preventv longitudinal movement of said screws, as a result of which the bearing blocks 31 and 86, and the bearing blocks 32 and 90 are equidistant at all times from the corresponding guide bars 464 and 47, so that the blanks are maintained in centered relation relatively to said guide bars.

From the construction of the adjusting screws 33, 34, 35 and 36 above described, and the gearing connecting them, it will be observed that rotation of the adjusting screw 33 by the crank 128, simultaneously rotates all of said adjusting screws, as a result of which, the threads of said screws being of the same pitch, all of the bearing blocks 27, 28, 31, 32, 86, 87, 90 and 91 are simultaneously adjusted to space thev feed screw 29 from the feed screws 82 and 83 and to space the feed screw 30 from the feed screws 84 and 85 to t any desired blank.

As shown in Fig. 8, the yoke 26 for moving the clutch member 25, is extended to form an operating handle 133 pivotally mounted at 134 on a bracket 135 extending from the frame of the machine 10. An idler shaft 136 is supported in suitable bearings, not shown, carried by the machine 10 and has mounted thereon a pulley 137 connected by a belt 138 with the pulley 24. The pulley 137 is preferably much smaller than the pulley 24, andhas rigidly secured to it a relatively large pulley 139 connected by a belt 140 with a small pulley 141 carried by the shaft of a motor 142 employed to drive the machine 10 and also the drying machine. Theoperating handle 133 thus provides a convenient means for stopping the machine 10 when desired, without interfering with continued operation of the drying machine, as long as the motor 142 is in operation. As also shown in Fig. 8, the crank 57 and the bevel gear 59 are mounted on a short shaft 143 supported in a bearing 144 carried by the base plate 18.

In Fig. 9 I illustrate the relation of one of the ascending blanks 48 to its feed screws 82, 83 and `-29 and also to the corresponding guide bar 46. It will be noted that the feed screw 29 engages one edge of the blank 48 midway between its ends, and that the feed screws 82 and 83 engage the opposite edge of the blank at substantially equal distances from theV ends of the blank, the guide bar 46 being preferably adjusted to secure this relation of the blank to the feed screws. As a result o f this arrangement, each blank is supported atthree points in balanced condition on the feed screws; the feed screws being preferably angularly adjusted in the assembly of the machine, so that the blanks are supported by them in sub# stantially horizontal position. As indicated-in this figure, the feed screws rotate in directions tending to move the blank towards the guide bar 46 and since the latter opposes this movement, the action of the feed screws on the blank is to lift the blank for the particular feed screws referred to, the'feed screw 29 being provided with right hand threads, andthe feed screws 82 and 83 being provided with left hand threads to effect this liftng movement. Each of the descending blanks 48a is similarly related to the feed screws 30, 84 and 85 and to the guide bar 47, the feed screw 30 being provided with right hand threads and the feed screws 84 and 85 being provided with left hand threads, but in this case, the feed screws are rotated in directions opposite to those indicated in Fig. 9, and the tendency of the feed screws is thus to move the blanks 48a towards -the guide bar 47. and since this movement is opposed by the guide bar, the screws move the blanks 48a downwardly.

As shown in Fig. 10, the feed screws are preferably provided with square threads, the grooves between the threads being of sufficient size longi- 4tudinally of the screws, to receive the blanks freely between the threads of the screws, and the threads being of suflicient size longitudinaly of the screws, to separate the blanks desired distances to eiect drying of the material carried by them.

In Fig. 11 I show the bottom part of the casing and framework of the drying machine, with the gearing and bearings thereof removed, to illustrate means I preferably employ to circulate air through the machine. As shown in this gure, the casing walls 117, 118, 119 and 120 completely -enclose the drying machine, and the column 19 and its side plates 19a and 19h extend from front to rear across the mid portion of the casing. As described above, the column 19`extends from the bottom of the machine nearly to the cover 64 thereof, and to complete the separation of the casing into two compartments, vertical partitions and 146 are provided between the column 19 and the front and rear walls 117 and 118 respectively of the casing, these vertical partitions extending preferably frm top to bottom of the column 19, excepting as openings are requiredY in the partition 145 to clear the parts carried by the front wall of the column 19. The casing of the drying machine is thus divided into arst compartment 147 in which the blanks 48a move downwardly, and a second compartment 148 in which the blanks 48 move upwardly. The bottom portion of the rear wall 118 of the casing, is provided .with an air inlet pipe or opening 149 communicating with the compartment 147, and also with an outlet pipe 150 extending from the compartment 148 to the inlet opening of an exhaust fan 151 driven by a motor 152. As a result of this arrangement, operation of the fan 1-51 causes air flow into and through the compartment 147, then into and through the compartment 148, and then from the latter compartment through the fan 151 as indicated. In this manner, air is caused to move upwardly around and between the descending blanks 48a, then 'across Athe uper portion of the` casing, then downwardly around and between the ascending blanks 48. While the construction of the parts above described, results in several openings through the column 19 and through the vertical partition 145, which connect the-lower portions of the compartments 147 and 148, these communicating openings are of restrictedsize and dofnot materially interfere with the circulation of air through the-compartments as above described.

To increase the drying effect produced by the air circulating through the casing as above described, heaters of any desired type may be employed to heat the air circulating in the casing, for example as indicated diagrammatically in the drawings, electric heaters 153 may be mounted in convenient positions in the casing, the detail construction of these heaters not being shown, as devices of this kind are well known in the art and they may be made of any size and form,

and electrically connected and operated in any desired manner adapted to the purpose described.

As shown in Fig. 12, the members 79 of the receiving rack for the dried blanks, are mounted at their lower ends on supports 154, 154 which in turn are supported by the bracket 81, the members 79 in any case being adjustedso that they are in line with the members 72 of the delivery chute. As shown in Fig. 13, each of the spring actuated dogs 81 is mounted in a. corresponding recess in its support 154, in which it is pivotally supported on a rod 155,being heldoutwardly in the position indicated, bya light spring 156. The dog 81 is provided with an upwardly extending ear 81a engaging the surface of the corresponding rack member 79, to limit outward movement of the dog under the action of the spring 156. As a result, the dogs 81 yield readily when a delivered blank resting on the arm 73 is raised as above described, so that the raised blank is above the upper ends of the dogs 81, and when the arm 73 is again moved to its lower position, the .dogs 81 support the blanks in the receiving rack ready forremoval therefrom.

As shown in Fig. 14, the delivery chute member 72 adjacent the bearing block 91, is secured thereto by screws 72a, so that said chute member is carried by the bearing block when it is adjusted by the screw 34 for any particular width of blank. The other chute member 72, it will be understood, is similarly secured to and can'ied by the bearing block 28. The chute members 72 are thus spaced from each other at any time, to receive blanks which the feed screws 30, 84 and 85 are adjusted to handle.

As shown in Fig. 15, the shaft 124 has secured thereto at substantially its mid portion, a bevel gear 157 meshing with a similar bevel gear 158 carried by a, horizontal shaft 159 extending through bearing blocks 160 and 161 carried by the column 19, which shaft 159 is extended through the front Wall 117 of the drying machine and has secured to lits outer end, a crank 162 by may be rotated, to effect desired adjustment of the guide bars 46 and 47. The shaft 124 is preferably provided with a bearing 163 supported by the column 19 adjacent the bevel, gear 157 to maintain the bevel gears 157 and 158 properly in mesh at all times. Y

In Fig. 16 I'illustratethe relation of the cranks 128 and 162 to each other, as they appear in front of the front wall 117 of the casing of the drying machine, when the machine is completely assembled and enclosed. The crank 128 preferably cooperates with holes 164 extending part way through the casing wall 117, to hold the crank in any desired adjustment, the holes preferably having indicating designations as illustrated, to the end that any particular setting of the feed screws may be accurately obtained. The crank 162 preferably co-operates with similar holes 165 extending part way through the casing wall 117, to retain the crank 162 in any desired adjustment, the holes preferably having convenient designations as indicated to facilitate securing accurate settings of the guide bars 46 and 47, as desired. The cranks 128 and 162 are preferably of the same construction, and hence it will be necessary to describe but one of them', for example the crank 162, which is shown in horizontal, sectional view in Fig. 17. As shown in said gure, the outer end of the crank 162 has rigidly secured to it and extending forwardly therefrom, a tubular member 166 containing a plunger 167 and a spring 168 tending to move the plunger towards the casing wall 117. The plunger 167 has secured thereto, a rod 169 extending through the spring 168 and also through the otherwise closed end wall of the tubular member 166, the outer end of said rod being rigidly secu'red to a disk 170 which rests against the end of the member 166 when the plunger 167 is in one of the holes 165. When it is desired to rotate the shaft 159, the disk 170 is moved outwardly to disengage the plunger 167 from the hole 165 in which itwas located, and the crank 162 is turned until a desired adjustment of the guide bars 46 and 47 is effected; the disk 170 is then released so that the plunger 167 may engage the corresponding one of the hole 165, which locks the crank 162 against rotation and maintains the guide bars 46 and 47 in any adjustment given them, until a different adjustment is desired.

In Figs. 18 and 19, I illustrate a blank 48 of the type intended to be treated by the machine 10 shown in Fig. 1, which blank is provided with an edge groove 48h as a preliminary operation to the forming of a lock seam between the edge of the blank and the side wall of a can of which the blank is to be one of the end walls. The groove 48h has sealing compound placed in it by the machine 10 to make the seam between the blank and the side wall of the can perfectly tight, and the drying of the blanks in the drying machine, thickens the sealing compound sufficiently so that it will not flow freely, and yet the drying operation is not continued long enough to completely harden theA sealing compound, and as a result it is -suiciently plastic to effectively seal the joint between the edge of the blank and the side wall of the can, when the blank and said side wall are seamed together. It will be understood that the particular construction of blank shown in Figs. 18 and 19 is illustrative only of blanks that may be dried in my drying machine, and

, that many other types of blanks may be effectively handled by my drying machine, the only requisite being that the blanks shall be'of a shape and size permitting them to be engaged and moved through the drying machine 4by the feed screws thereof. It will also be understood that my drying machine may be built in any desired size and proportions, depending upon the sizes of the blanks that are to be dried by the machine. Furthermore, with any particular size and construction of drying machine, as far as the type and size of blanks to be handled thereby is concerned, the drying machine may have any desired height by making the feed screws and guide bars of corresponding length, depending upon the drying interval that is required to dry the blanks handled by the machine, to a desired degree. In some cases it may be desirable to completely harden the material applied to the blanks, while in other cases it may be desirable to stop the drying operation when the material applied to the blanks has been but partially hardened to a desired degree. This, and the nature of the material on the blanks, that is being partly or wholly dried, determines the length of the drying operation in connection with any particular blanks that are to be dried. In referring to the parts handled bythe drying machine to partly or entirely drymaterial carried by said parts, I refer to said parts as blanks for convenience, meaning by that term any parts adapted to be handled by the drying. machine substantially as described, regardless of whether said parts have already bein subjected to manufacturing operations or no While I have shown my invention in the particular embodiment above described, it will be understood that I do not limit myself to this exact construction as I may employ equivalents known to the art at the time of the ling of this application without departing lfrom the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1.- In a drying machine, the combination of a pair of spaced vertical feed screws for engagmg the edges of blanks to be dried to move them vertically in a first direction, a second pair of spaced vertical feed screws for engaging the edges of said blanks to move them vertically in a reversed direction, 'a vertical guide bar for engaging each set of said blanks and restraining them from horizontal movement in a first direction, transfer mechanism adjacent the delivery ends of said Vfirst pair of feed screws for moving said blanks from engagement with said first pair of screws into engagement with said 'second pair of screws, a delivery chute for receiving said blanks from the delivery ends of said second pair of screws, the feed screws of each pair engaging opposite edges of said blanks and restraining said blanks from horizontal movement in two other directions than said first horizontal direction, and gearing for rotating said feed screws of each pair in opposite directions and each screw by its engagement with a blank tending to move the blank towards the guide bar associated with said screw.

2. In a drying machine, the combination of a rst set of spaced vertical feed screws for engaging the edges of" blanks to be dried to move them vertically in a rst direction, a second set of spaced vertical feed screws for engaging the edges of said blanks to move them vertically in a reversed direction, vertical guide bars for engaging said blanks and restraining them from horizontal movement in one direction during their ascending and descending movement, transfer mechanism adjacent the delivery ends of said rst set of feed screws for moving said blanks from engagement With said rst set of screws into engagement with said second set of screws, a delivery chute for receiving said blanks from the delivery ends of said second set of screws, gearing connecting said guide bars for simultaneous adjustment of said bars towards and from each other as desired for blanks of different sizes, a. shaft extending from said gearing, and a handle on said shaft.

3. In a drying machine, the combination of a rst set of spaced vertical feed screws for engaging the edges of blanks to be dried to move them vertically in a first direction, a second set of spaced vertical feed screws for engaging the edges of said blanks to move them vertically in a reversed direction, vertical guide bars for engaging said blanks and restraining them from horizontal movement in one direction during their ascending and descending movement, transfer mechanism adjacent the .delivery ends of said first set of feed screws for moving said blanks from engagement with said first set of screws into engagement with said second set of screws, a

delivery chute for receiving said blanks from the delivery ends of said second set of screws, bearing blocks supporting said feed screws, horizontal slide supports for said bearing blocks, gearing connecting said bearing blocks for simultaneous adjustment for blanks of different sizes,

said gearing including an extending rotary member, and a handle on said member.

4. In a drying machine, the combination of a first set of spaced vertical feed screws for engaging the edges of blanks to be dried to move them vertically in a first direction, a second set of spaced vertical feed screws for engaging the edges of said blanks to move them vertically in a reversed direction, vertical guide bars for engaging said blanks and restraining them from horizontal movement in one direction during their ascending and descending 'movement transfer mechanism adjacent the delivery ends of said first set of feed screws for moving said blanks from engagement with said first set of screws into engagement with said second set of screws, a delivery chute for receiving said blanks from the delivery ends of said second set of screws, the feed screws of each set engaging opposite edges of said blanks and restraining said blanks from horizontal movement in two other directions than the restraint effected by said guide bars, each set of feed screws comprising one feed screw engaging said blanks at one edge and two spaced feed screws engaging said blanks at their opposite edges, whereby each blank is supported at three points in substantially a horizontal plane, bearing blocks supporting the upper and lower ends of the feed screws of each set, horizontal slide supports for said bearing blocks, adjusting screws having oppositely threaded end portions and each having threaded engagement at its end portions with the bearing blocks supported by the adjacent slide support, gearing connecting all of said adjusting screws for simultaneous operation for adjusting purposes, said gearing including an extending rotary member, and a handle on said member. f

5. In a drying machine, the combination of a first set of spaced vertical feed screws for engaging the edges of blanks to be dried to move them vertically in a first direction, a second set of spaced vertical feed screws for engaging the edges of said blanks to move them vertically in areversed direction, vertical guide bars for engaging said blanks and restraining them from horizontal movement in one direction during their ascending and descending movement, transfer mechanism adjacent the delivery ends of said first set of feed screws for moving said blanks from engagement with said first set of screws into engagement with said second set of screws, a delivery chute forv receiving sa'd blanks from the delivery ends of said second set of screws, bearing blocks supporting said feed screws, horizontal slide supports for said bearing blocks, first gearing connecting said bearing blocks for simultaneous adjustment for blanks of different sizes, said gearing including an extending rotary member,

.spaced Vertical feed screws for engaging the edges of said blanks to move them vertically in a reversed direction, Vertical guide bars for engaging said blanks and restraining them from horizontal movement in one direction during their ascending and descending movement, transfer mechanism adjacent the delivery ends of said rst set of feed screws for moving said blanks from engagement with said first set of screws into engagement with said second set of screws, a-delivery chute for receiving said blanks from the delivery ends of said second set of screws, bearing blocks supporting said feed screws, horizontal slide supports for said bearing blocks, gearing connecting said bearing blocks for simultaneous adjustment for blanks of different sizes, said gearing including an extending rotary member, and a handle on said member, said delivery chute comprising two inclined blank supporting members carried by the bearing blocks at the blank delivery ends of the second set of feed screws.

7. In a drying machine, the combination of a rst set of spaced vertical feed screws for engaging the edges of blanks to be dried to move them vertically in a first direction, a second set of spaced vert-ical feed screws for engaging the edges of said blanks to move them vertically in a reversed direction, vertical guide bars for engaging said blanks and restraining them from horizontal movement in one direction during their ascending and descending movement, transfer mechanism adjacent the delivery ends of said first set of feed screws for moving said blanks from engagement with said first set of screws into-en' gagement with said second set of screws, a delivery chute for receiving said blanks from the delivery ends of said second set of screws, a blank supporting and removing arm pivotally supported for oscillatory movement and in line with said delivery chute to receive blanks delivered therefrom, a main driving shaft, gearing connecting said shaft with said feed screws, and operating devices between said arm and said shaft imparting blank removing movement to said arm for each rotation of said/feed screws.

8. In a drying machine, the combination of a first set of spaced vertical feed screws for engaging the edges of blanks to be dried to move theml vertically in a first direction, a second set of spaced vertical feed screws for engaging the edges of .said blanks to move them vertically in a reversed direction, vertical guide bars for engaging said blanks and restraining them from horizontal movement in one direction during their ascending and descending movement, transfer mechanism adjacent the delivery ends of said first set of feed screws for moving said blanks from engagement with said first set of screws into engagement with said second set of screws, a delivery chute for receiving said blanks from the delivery ends of said second set of screws, a blank supporting and removing arm pivotally supported for oscillatory movement and in line with said delivery chute to receive blanks delivered therefrom, a main driving shaft, gearing connecting said shaft with said feed screws, operating devices between said arm and said shaft imparting blank removing movement to said arm for each rotation of said feed screws, a blank receiving rack in l'ne with said arm to receive blanks removed thereby from alignment with said delivery chute, and dogs for holding blanks moved to said receiving rack l 9. In a drying machine, the combination of a first set of spaced vertical feed screws for engaging the edges of blanks to be dried to move them vertically in a first direction, a second set of spaced vertical feed screws for engaging the edges of said blanks to move them vertically in a reversed direction, vertical guide bars for engaging said blanks and restraining them from horizontal movement in one direction during their ascending and descending movement, transfer mechanism adjacent the delivery ends of said first set of feed screws for moving said blanks from engagement with said first set of screws into engagement with said second set of screws, a delivery chute for receiving said blanks from the delivery ends of said second set of screws, said transfer mechanism comprising an endless chain having spaced lugs movable intermittently across the adjacent end positions of end blanks engaged by said `feed screws, a main shaft, gearing connecting said main shaft and said feed screws, and pawl and ratchet mechanism connecting said main shaft and said chain and moving said lugs intermittently and successively with blanks engaged thereby from alignment with said first set of feed screws into alignment with said second set of feed screws, said gearing and said pawl and ratchet mechanism having a relation to transfer a blank from said first set of feed screws to said second set of feed screws for each rotation of said feed screws.

10. In a machine of the class described, the combination of two sets of feed screws for moving blanks to be dried through the machine, a guide bar for each set of feed screws, and gearing connecting said guide bars for simultaneous adjustment for blanks of different sizes, said gearing including a rotary member extending to receive an operating handle.

11. In a machine of the class described, the combination of two sets of feed screws for moving blanks respectively upwardly and downwardly through the machine, bearing blocks for said feed screws, horizontal slide supports for said l bearing blocks, and gearing connecting said bearing blocks for simultaneous adjustment for blanks of different sizes, said gearing including a rotary member extending to receive an operating handle.

12. In a machine of the class described, the combination of two feed screws for engaging the opposite edges of a blank to 'move it vertically through the machine, said feed screws having respectively right hand and left hand threads, a vertical guide bar for engaging the edge of said blank between the said opposite edges of said blank and retaining said blank in engagement with said feed screws, and devices for rotating said feed screws in opposite directions thereby moving the blank engaging portion of each of said feed screws towards said bar.

' CHARLES STECHER. 

